Improvement in furnaces for smelting zinc ores



1. L Al. KALBACH.

Furnace for Smeltrig Zinc Ores.

No. 25,267. Patented. Aug'. 30, 1859.

JOSEPH KALBAOH AND ISAAC KALBAOH, OF BERNVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FURNACES FOR lSIVIELTING ZINC ORES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 25,267. daled August 510, 1359.

To all whom, t may concern-.-

Beit known that we, lIosErI-r KALBACH and Isaac KALBACH, of Bernville, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces or Apparatus for Converting the Ores of Zinc into Metal and Refining the Same; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and marks thereon.

Our improvements relate to that class of zinc-furnaces where vertical cylinders or crucibles for containing the ore and material used in connection with it are placed between the iire and a calcining or roasting chamber, or between the fire and the stack. In this class of furnaces it has been found very difficult to so construct the crucibles or cylinders for the ore as to allow of perfect exposure of the cru-- cibles to the heat for reducing` the ore, and at the same time to make full provision for removing the whole or any part of the cruciblesl Without disturbing the arch or bed of the furnace.

In the drawings forming part of this specication, Figure l is a longitudinal section of 'a furnace complete; Fig. 2, a transverse section through the chamber containing the reducing cylinders or crucibles; Fig. 3, a front View of the exterior of the fire-box or fuelchamber; and Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, views of parts of the cylinders or crucibles.

In Fig. 1, A indicates the top of the crucibles or cylinders; B, the roasting or calcining chamber; C, the stack; D, the fire-chamber;l

E, the grate-bars; F, the columns which support the bed-plates g, on which rest the crucibles; H, the hearth of the calcining-chainber; I, the openings in the rear wall of the heatchamber for the escape-heat to pass into and through the calcining-chamber, II, the stonework support to the hearth H.

In Fig. 2, A indicates the arch of the heatchamber, made of fire-brick; B, the sidewalls of the chamber; C, the crucibles; D, the supporting-flanges for the crucibles, and which are fastened to the bed-plates at e; and F indicates the columns which sustain the bedplates. In Fig. 3, A indicates the doors to the fire-box or fuel-chamber; B, a hole for the admission of air; C, the ash-pits, and D the castiron supporting-frames.

In constructing our crucibles or cylinders for containing the ore and material under treatment, we prefer to use for most parts thereof fire-brick clay. As will be seen by referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 6, we place in the hole in the arch for thereception of the crucible a cylinder or collar, b, and in putting in its place the crucible, as is shown by the drawings, t-he upper edge of the crucible is a suflicient distance below the upper edge of the collar to afford a seat for the cover to the crucible. This method of fitting the crucible into the arch allows of the making of close and tight joints for the cover and the crucible, and also makes very complete provision for protecting the upper end of the crucible and permitting of its removal without disturbing the Walls of the arch.

The plates g, which form the bed of the heatchamber, we prefer to be made of cast-iron, and they can thus be made of any number and dimensions that may be deemed desirable. A section of one of these plates is shown by Fig. 7, (marked b,) and by this figure also is shown the manner by which we attach the bottom of the crucible to the bed-plate. On the top side of the bed-plate, around the hole therein, we place an iron ring or annular plate, c, and on the under side of thebed-plate another iron ring or annular plate, an-d by screw bolts and nuts or other suitable means we secure the two annular plates to the bed-plate. The lower ring or annular plate, a, as is shown by Fig. 7, is shouldered or recessed, so as to allow of the end of the crucible to rest upon the upper edge of the plate and a space to exist between the end of the crucible and the recess of the plate a. This construction and arrangement of parts allows the bottom of the crucible to be made so that it can be easily detached, and in case of injury to any one of the parts here named the one part or all of the parts of this construction may be removed and replaced by new and perfect parts. This manner of attaching the lower part of the crucible to the hearth allowsof the removal of the entire crucible through the hole in the hearth without disturbing its bricks or the material of which it is made. The bottom ring or annular plate, a, has, as is shown by Fig. 5, notches in its inner edge for the admission of lugs or pins upon the outer edge of the bottom of the crucible, as indicated at a, Fig. 4, and the bottom plate is held in position by putting the pins or lugs into the recesses and forcing the plate or bottom up until the pins reach the surface of the ledge on which they turn, and hold, as is done in what is commonly known as the bayonet-joint. In Fig. 7 the bottom of the crucible is marked D. We usually make it of cast-iron, and have one or two holes,with tubes connected to them, through it for the escape of the metal from the ore. We also usually make it with two handles, F, for easy turning of it in its seat and removing it. This construction of the crucible, it will' be observed, is one that admits of excellent joints, of easy access to the interior ofthe crucible, and of ready removal. In using these crucibles they are ordinarily made of such size as will contain two hundred pounds of dried and crushed ore and twenty --ive pounds of anthracite or of charcoal.

rIhe crucibles in position and the various parts of the furnace, with the track of the products of combustion, being fully represented bythe drawings, do not need detaileddescription. f

We are aware that zinc-furnaces with vertically-arranged crucible have been used,;and

that such crucibles, made of metal, have been so constructed as to allow of each crucible being removed 5 but we do not know that such crucibles have ever been so constructed as to allow of the entire removal of every part thereof through either the arch or the bed ofthe furnace and without disturbing the arch-walls or bed-plate; and

hat we therefore claim as our invention Constructing the crucible with a detachable bottom and connecting it to the arch by the cylinder or collar and to the bed-plate by the rings or annular plates; whereby we are enabled to empty the crucible at its bottom and to remove the entire Crucible through the bottom or thevarch of the heat-chamber, as may be required, the whole being arranged and sus ceptibleof being used as hereinset-forth.

JOSEPH KALBACH. ISAAC KALBAGH. 

